Business Builders

Mail Metrics co-founder Nick Keegan shares a raw and revealing account of what it really takes to survive the early years of a startup — from three years with no customers to building one of Ireland’s largest customer communications businesses through bold pivots and high-risk acquisitions.Nick speaks candidly about the naïve mistakes made at the start, burning through investor capital, letting staff go, and being months from running out of cash — before a single RFP became the lifeline that changed everything. He also explains how stumbling into a regulated, enterprise-grade business model unlocked long-term growth, and why learning by doing was the only way forward.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:– What it’s like to build a startup with zero customers for years– Why building before talking to customers nearly killed the business– How one tender became a turning point– The reality of enterprise sales and long growth cycles– Why Nick used acquisitions to scale faster than organic growth– The personal and psychological toll of the early survival yearsWhether you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode offers a rare, honest look at the gap between startup mythology and startup reality — and what it really takes to get through it.🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👇 Full episode link in the comments.

Tom Rowan, founder of Rowan Engineering, shares a grounded and refreshingly honest account of how he built a forensic engineering and environmental consultancy from one customer and no grand plan into a 30-person business working with insurers, public bodies, and major Irish organisations.Rather than chasing hype or overnight success, Tom explains how his ambition evolved gradually — from simply replacing his salary, to hitting €250k, then €1 million, and beyond. Along the way, he reflects on leadership, culture, setbacks, and why values like integrity, professionalism, and balance matter more as a business grows.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:– How Rowan Engineering grew one step at a time– Why ambition changes as a business scales– The reality of hiring when there’s no money in the bank– How to build a values-led culture without ego– Why slow, deliberate growth often winsWhether you’re running a small business, thinking about scaling, or questioning what growth should actually look like, this episode offers a calm, thoughtful perspective from someone who’s lived it.🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

After losing his engineering job during the 2008 crash, Daniel Plewman found himself unemployed, on the dole, and unsure what came next. A chance moment — his wife struggling to source quality scrubs from the US — sparked the idea that would eventually become Happythreads, an e-commerce scrubs and healthcare uniform business now operating across Ireland, the UK, France, Spain, Germany and beyond.In this episode, Danny shares how he built Happy Threads from a spare room in Stoneybatter, going door-to-door with samples, and why launching an e-commerce scrubs business long before it was obvious became his unfair advantage. He opens up about the early years of survival, cashflow tricks, moments of being “technically bankrupt,” and the burnout and hospitalisation that forced him to rethink how he worked and led.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:– Spotting overlooked opportunities and creating a new market– How e-commerce cashflow helped the business survive– Building a 25-person team across Europe– Burnout, lifestyle choices, and the high-dependency hospital wake-up call– Leadership, culture, and moving towards a business that can run without you🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

Former Paddy Power co-founder Stewart Kenny shares a brutally honest account of how he built — and then left — the world’s biggest betting company.From his father’s influence and early fascination with risk to the creation of Paddy Power’s fearless marketing, Stewart speaks candidly about success, addiction, ethics, and why he ultimately left the industry he helped define.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:– How Paddy Power became a cultural phenomenon– The marketing mindset that reshaped betting in Ireland– What Stewart learned about leadership, ego, and risk– His reflections on ADHD and entrepreneurship– Why he left the gambling industry — and what he’d change todayWhether you’re a business builder or just fascinated by the psychology of success, this episode offers one of the most disarmingly honest conversations we’ve ever had.

Niall Jones, co-owner of Anglo Irish Refrigeration, joins host Conor Kearney to share his journey from redundancy to running a €30M+ business. In this episode, Niall gets candid about the personal risks of buying a company, the adrenaline of nonstop growth, and how culture—not spreadsheets—has become his most powerful business tool. If you’re interested in acquisitions, scaling SMEs, or what it really takes to grow a service-heavy business, this is an essential listen.